HCP’s project together with Populous and IDEAM, among the 7 finalist to design the new Real Betis Balompié football stadium

Real Betis Balompié has submitted an international competition to renovate the legendary Benito Villamarín stadium, the epicentre of the entire Real Betis organisation, and HCP is proud to be among the seven finalists to design the new football stadium for the Sevillian club.

HCP has submitted our candidacy for the design of the Benito Villamarín football stadium together with the North American architecture studio Populous, specialised in the design of large sports stadiums (including emblematic buildings such as the NY Yankees baseball team’s headquarters or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and the Spanish engineering company IDEAM.

Betis has announced that, from a total of 30 projects submitted for the design of its new football stadium, it has selected seven candidates who will have to defend their ideas in the presence of the club’s Board of Directors before 15 June.

Conditions of the public announcement

Among the conditions of the call for the public announcement for the redesign of this football stadium are the design of a new Preferencia stand; the work on exterior and interior elements in Gol Norte, Fondo and Gol Sur; the design of the roof; and the development of the entire plot, for which it has a budget of more than 70 million euros.

Specifically, the aim is for this redesign to be capable of projecting “the Real Betis Balompié brand” in order to transform the experience of Betis fans, as well as the current flow of spectators. The club is looking for an innovative proposal that integrates a commercial model with activity 365 days a year, not just on match days. To this end, the design of this football stadium must contemplate the integration of a wide range of leisure and entertainment options.

Likewise, this sports stadium must also integrate the latest architectural trends, including the use of new technologies and the principles of inclusion and sustainability, with an emphasis on the comfort of Betis fans.

One of the most emblematic football stadiums in the Spanish league

The Benito Villamarín football stadium is the largest stadium in Andalusia and the fourth largest in Spain, with a current capacity of over 60,000 spectators. It was inaugurated in 1929, although it has undergone three refurbishments over its almost 100-year history: one in 1982, another in 2000 and the last one just six years ago, in 2017.

Among some highlights of its history, it should be noted that this football stadium was one of the 17 venues of the 1982 World Cup, held in Spain, and has also hosted multiple matches of the Spanish national football team, among which the mythical 12-1 match between Spain and Malta stands out.

From HCP, and especially from our delegation in Seville, we are delighted to work on a project of these characteristics. We are proud to be finalists in this competition for the redesign of the Benito Villamarín football stadium, in which the most prestigious national and international architecture studios have participated.